Pray for Mexico

Mexican lawmakers legalized abortion. I mistakenly asserted with AFP (from whom that news came) that they should have cited the fact that 80% of Mexicans oppose abortion. I was mistaken. The population in Mexico City appears to be sharply divided, as the article asserted, at 51% in favor. The rest of Mexico is more anti-abortion. The Mexicans need our prayers!

Human Life International asks for prayers for Mexico

Fr. Tom Euteneuer makes an urgent plea for Mexico, as the country is in danger from the peddlers of promiscuity and abortion:

The leftist government in Mexico City has now proposed legislation that would legalize abortion up to 12 weeks on demand. ... The vote is expected to take place next Tuesday, April 24th. Please pray and fast for this intention! I will be doing that and offering every Mass for this intention until that day.

Victorian Parliament votes on cloning today!

In Victorian Parliament there will be a vote on cloning today (or at the latest tomorrow) in the Lower House. This is an urgent action alert. Please email some or all of the following Memembers of Parliament, writing your name and your reasons for opposing cloning.

This Bill, if passed by both houses, will: Legalise cloning of human beings Allow the creation of animal-human hybrids Allow the use of aborted baby girl's premature ova cells to create clones

Please email some of the following members, who represent undecided voted, and tell them that they must oppose this cloning Bill.

Please write out the emails individually and address them to the politican concerned (if you send to all at once they won't think you bothered to contact them individually).

Marcel White

Christine Fyffe MP
Mr Neale Burgess MP
Mr Luke Donnellan MP
Mr Benedict Hardman MP
The Honourable Dr Denis Vincent Napthine
Mr Daniel Andrews MP

Also if you know what your local member's name is, give them a call at parliament house and tell them TO VOTE AGAINST THE CLONING BILL. I cannot stress how urgent this is. Call the parliament switchboard on 9651 8911, and ask for that member's office.

This email was sent by Marcel White, Right to Life Australia, 9387 7098, 0415765742 to jefferson.tan@gmail.com

Catechetical teaching via blog and YouTube

The Bishop's Conference back in the Philippines is reaching out via YouTube! Much of what ails the Church today is lack of proper understanding, which are passed on by confused parents to their children. This effort by our bishops should be supported with prayers and whatever can be done to get the word out. Check this out!

No Salvation Outside the Church, explained

The interested visitor (hello!) should read through the blog posts and comment boxes of two Catholic converts on this matter:

• Joel, and
• Aimee Milburn

I don't think it was ever drilled into me, a cradle Catholic, that non-members were damned as such. For example, there are those Catholic doctrines on baptism of desire, baptism of blood (martyrdom), perfect contrition, etc. I never heard Sister Martha, Father Joseph or any of our teachers point out "those wicked [insert least favorite religious group here] are damned because [insert favorite rant here]!"

Catholics who think that non-Catholics are necessarily denied salvation are probably the same people who think that Catholics are necessarily saved, and both are wrongheaded notions.

From Lost to Found: A Conversion Story

Yet another beautiful story of having been found by The Good Shepherd among the dark places of the world. Meet, Joel, Catholic Convert.

Wellington defeated...

There's an excellent homily for Easter Sunday citing an old war story. Apparently, this message sent via light signals reached Allied Troops: "Wellington defeated..", referring to the duke of Wellington who went up against Napoleon. That naturally dismayed the people who were praying for Wellington's victory, but it was an incomplete message, the fog having obscured the light. Eventually, when the fog had lifted a bit, the entire message was relayed that "Wellington defeated the enemy."

What a difference two words can make, joked our parish priest, and that is correct. "Christ defeated.." was the message of Good Friday, as the darkness rolled in, obscuring the light. But as St. John writes, the darkness could not overcome it, so at Easter, the full message is revealed: "Christ defeated the Enemy". The mystery of our faith is no good to us if incomplete, and so we proclaim "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again!" Christ died.. in order to destroy death, and so we proclaim "Dying, you destroyed our death. Rising, you restored our life. Lord Jesus, come in glory!"

An Hour of Adoration

I've never gone to a late night adoration of the Blessed Sacrament before tonight. It was beautiful. No bells (just the faint smell of incense from the Mass earlier tonight. I've been to benediction at an Opus Dei center near college many years ago, and it's the same thing: a quiet time spent with the Lord. At least after benediction, you get a few minutes of Eucharistic adoration. There's the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist. Even if there was no exposition, just the Lord's real presence in the Eucharist within the tabernacle. But tonight is different. It is Holy Thursday, and the context is that night between the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper and the trial of the Lord by the Sanhedrin. Tonight, these words haunted me: "Could you not stay awake with me for one hour?" On Holy Thursday, we try to spend one hour (or however long we can), awake and praying, spending time with Him, remembering His terrible agony in the garden, while His disciples slept and left Him to his loneliness and anxiety. I, too, often sleep through His agony at my sins unfolding before His eyes, which He atones for because He loves me.

I dozed off a few times tonight, and I was alternating between sleepiness and wandering thoughts. But I'm so happy I went anyway. May it be, through God's grace, that I shall spend more and more time with Him, awake and praying, through this Holy Week and in all my days.

On this Holy Thursday, a prayer for humility...

This commentary comes from DailyGospel.org for Holy Thursday.

Saint Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897), Carmelite nun, doctor of the Church
Prayer to obtain humility

“This is my body that is for you” (1Cor 11,24)

   O Jesus, when you were a traveler in this world you said: “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves” (Mt 11,29). O Almighty King of Heavens, yes, my soul finds rest when it sees you “taking the form of a slave” (Phil 2,7), humbling yourself to the point of washing the feet of your apostles. Then I remember the words you pronounced to teach me to practice humility: “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do...No slave is greater than his Master...If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it” (Jn 13,15-17). I understand, o Lord, these words coming out from your meek and humble heart; I want to put them into practice with the help of your grace...

   Nobody, o my Beloved, had rights over you, nevertheless you obeyed not only to the Virgin Mary and to Saint Joseph, but also to your hangmen. Now it is in the host that I see your annihilation reach its peak. What humility, o King of Glory, to submit yourself, without distinction, to all priests, to those who love you and to those who instead unfortunately are lukewarm or cold in their service of you. In answer to their call you come down from heaven...O my Beloved, under the veil of the white host you appear to me so meek and humble of heart! To teach me humility you couldn't humble yourself more...

   But, o Lord, you know my weakness; every morning I make a resolution to practice humility and in the evening I recognize that I still committed many sins of pride. And I am tempted to become discouraged, but I know that discouragement too is a form of pride. Therefore, I want to put my hopes in you alone, my God; since you are the Almighty, allow this virtue to grow in my soul. To obtain this grace of your endless mercy, I often repeat this prayer to you: “O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart similar to yours!”.